Sept 27th Weekly email

Upcoming events
VTing
-Remember Sept 6th was Fast and Pray to become better HT/VTers. Make sure to report. The Stake’s goal is fast/pray about it this month, then have 100% next month.
- be sure to get together with Irene/Karren/Janelle for a VT conference

29 September Stake Cannning Night 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Canning Night for Kingwood Stake @ Houston Cannery (North Stake)

29 September 7pm Cooking Group Gathering Erin Catalani will be hosting a Mexican Food Potluck and Recipe Exchange at her home (4207 Oak Gardens Drive).

October 3rd-4th General ConferenceOctober

8th RS temple trip 9:00 AM,

Oct 7th Farmer's Market in Humble

Oct 9th EQ CookoffFriday

Oct 16th Ward Temple Night

Oct 17th Special Needs Carnival

Oct 20th HAAM assignment - wooters1@earthlink.net if you are interested in going.

Oct 20th Book club 7:30 at Jamie’s: pick your favorite book about moms.Suggestions:I Am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson – suggested by Janelle JonesThe Price of Motherhood – suggested by Emily Hall

Oct 24 Ward Exchange Start putting aside things to bring now!

Oct 31st – Nov 1st Stake conference.

Nov 5th Enrichment

Nov 7th Peanut Butter AssignmentChoir practice 5:00 every week after church

From Lara:
Ladies,I am going to the Chocolate Festival of Texas on November 7th. If anyone would like to go with me and make it a Cooking Group Outing, I would welcome the company. Check the site below for more information. Chocolate-only tickets for adults are $15, kids' tickets are $5, and kids under 6 are free.It will be chocolicious...

Today’s relief society lesson:

taught by Elizabeth Maranto on:
Ensign » 2009 » May
None Were with Him
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=185b230bac7f0210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

We talked about some of the things that were said in Sacrament meeting (opposition in all things). About how there was nothing that we could go through that Jesus had not also experienced, including our Savior understanding what it felt like to have the spirit withdrawn from him.

Quote from the talk:
“Now I speak very carefully, even reverently, of what may have been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey to Atonement. I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”16
The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Had He not said to His disciples, “Behold, the hour … is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” and “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him”?17
With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.”

Mormon Message youtube of talk : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

How do we draw closer to Christ? (so that we need not be alone?)
Answers that were given:
1. Prayer (sincere, of gratitude)
2. Hymns (Caryn R. talked about how music added a depth to words beyond just reading them for her)
3. Meditation
4. study Scriptures (not just read, but study)
5. Bear Testimony
6. Rely on Christ
7. Service (temple work)
8. Temple
9. WWJD? Try to do what Jesus would do (McKenzie)
10. Peaceful environment. (story of mom who would lock herself in bathroom to get away from chaos… a nice clean pretty bathroom.)
11. Recognize Tender mercies
12. Repentance.

Debbie Passey talked about taking the sacrament, and how she felt cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Sr. Maranto talked about those from another faith asking her if she was saved, if she had accepted Jesus into her heart. She asked them how could they think they were saved by just saying that they accepted Jesus? That it was a path, works were required etc. etc. Their answer was something to learn from, that if you had really fully accepted Jesus into your heart, you were on the path, the rest would follow. That everything hinged on letting Jesus into your heart.

Faith vs. works… that perhaps we get so into the works part, that we forget about the faith in Christ part.

To not be so prideful to think our relationship is with Heavenly Father while forgetting who makes it possible for us to pray, or in any way come into our Father’s presence.

Elizabeth ended the lesson by letting us watch the end of the Finding Faith in Christ video – It is a beautiful film that is worth watching and watching again. To see it:
Go to: Mormon.org
click on Free media
view: Finding Faith in Christ video.


I wish I could capture all of the comments that were said word for word. Thank you for such a beautiful lesson Sr. Maranto!